Is the Kindle For You?

I decided to treat myself this Christmas and bought myself a Kindle. I really do like it, but not quite as much as I thought I would. So I thought I'd post some things I noticed so you (the reader) can access whether or not the kindle is for you.

1) You can set up your kindle with your daily paper. No more worries about if it arrived, as it automatically is uploaded onto your kindle using whispernet, so long as you have the whispernet turned on.

Now this is a very great feature if you read the NYT, or WallStreet Journal, or one of the other papers (currently there are 54 US papers on Kindle, mostly large market or financial newspapers) that are available with kindle. But if you prefer your small town paper, well you'll just have to read that the old fashion way because there are a limited amount of papers to choose from (at least as of todays date)

2) You can also set up your magazine subscription to automatically upload.

That is if you only like reading Time, Newsweek, or Ellery Queen (a total of 44 titles as of todays date) than you're in luck. Unfortunately, I tend to prefer different magazines that they don't have.

3) Lower price for new release books. Now this is nice if you like to read a book as soon as it hits the shelf. Instead of shelling out 29.95, your kindle cost is only 9.99. A big improvement and  13 books and your kindle will pay for itself.

However, for me, I tend to buy books from used book stores, sales, and thriftstores. Always looking for the bargain price. I don't think I've ever bought a book fresh off the press. And Amazon does not lower the price once the paperback comes out. A huge downside for me.

4) They do have download for free items. Now we're talking. Most classics can be found for free, plus some authors have their work on kindle for free or a low price, so YES, I can bargain hunt on kindle. There are over 400,000 titles in the kindle book shop.(link is sorted by price low to high, so you can see all the free books available)

5) Instant look up. I love this feature. You can go to any word you're reading and look up the meaning. I downloaded a copy of the The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Jr.for free and didn't even realize all the words I didn't know. Some are archaic, because the translation is from the mid-19th Century and some I simply was not familiar. Almost all were accessible with the dictionary stored within kindle. But if you prefer you can download another dictionary and make it your default. I just love, love, love this feature.

6) Blogs. Yes, you can even have your favorite blog uploaded, that is if it is available. Now it is harder for me to have a problem with this one because the price is reasonable (99 cents to 1.99/mo and one that is 2.99), and I think almost every blog is available (how cool is that?) for subscription. Ok, maybe not every blog and newsfeed, but they do have over 8,000 to choose from. You even get 2 weeks free to try it out before the billing begins.

7) Another groovy perk (hehe, I said groovy) is that Amazon will store your content so if your kindle is lost, stolen, or damaged you do not lose all you have invested in your kindle. Very cool.

8) You can upload your own files for a fee. Not as thrilled about this feature. 1) because they don't tell you the fee outright. I hate when merchants do that.

9) You can upload books from other sources, although I have no idea how this works exactly. I suspect you download to your computer, then from your computer you upload to your kindle as the power cord also is a USB cable for syncing and editing your notes. (note to self, finish reading the manual)

10) Notes and bookmarks -- another great feature. I haven't yet mastered this, but I do like this feature very much and think it would be very handy, especially for students (or anyone who is doing any research)

I'm sure I'm leaving something out, and when I recall what it is I'll write a part 2. Until then, ciao.

Best Foods pt 3

Next on the list in Best Foods we're not eating is:

Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.

 Now to be honest I've never had swiss chard so I have no ideas to add to the suggestion here. I hope someone will come along and help with their favorite ways of eating this leafy vegetable. (please, pretty please?)

 I suppose you could use this veggie as you would spinach (although a longer cook time) or kale or any of the other leafy greens.

A Random Dream of Garlic

I had a dream where a woman was talking with a group of friends, saying that she would not allow her children to go to Disneyland or participate in large group activities because of the risk of  "catching something".

I couldn't help but tell her that I try to add garlic to our diets when bugs are going around. She smugly said, "We don't do garlic" and proceeded to hurry away. But I called out, "It's not that hard, just add garlic to your spaghetti sauce and have garlic bread. And Garlic Chicken is quick, easy and tasty." I noticed that her "rush" subsided as she slowed her pace, not quite ready to admit that she was intrigued.

I went on to tell her that many foods can help build our immune system, but that did not effect her as she continued, albeit a bit slower, on her way. So I added "chewing on Echinacea root is good when we are faced with being close to people during flu season", then I woke up. Not sure what the dream meant, but figured it would make a good post.

Rustic Garlic Chicken from Food and Wine dot com
Olive Garden's Tuscan Chicken on youtube
An easy Garlic Chicken recipe from garlic central dot com

You can also add extra garlic to any spaghetti sauce. It can easily be added to mashed potatoes, too.

Some more links:
on Garlic

on your immune system

Best Foods pt 2

The second food item listed in Best Foods we're not eating is: 

Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.

 Well this one is an easy one for me, as I have cabbage in the frig throughout most of the year. I use cabbage to make egg rolls, or Chinese salad, or boiled, or baked and microwaved. I'm not a big coleslaw fan, but cooked, I love cabbage. However, that said, I do like Chinese salad which is raw cabbage, so I guess I'm not the figurehead of consistency.

Chinese Salad
shredded cabbage
thinly sliced onion
shredded carrot
cooked chicken, cubed (or turkey, or tofu)
1 pkg of raman noodle soup
soy sauce
sesame oil (or olive oil)
rice wine vinegar
chopped garlic (opt)
toasted sesame seeds
green onion chopped

In a small bowl combine oil, vinegar, garlic and spice packet from raman soup. I like to soak the meat in soy sauce or you can also add part of oil/vinegar to marinade the meat. Mix all the veggies, and pour the oil/vinegar/spice over the salad and toss liberally. (If you have the time, allow these to marinade together for a couple hours in the frig) Add the meat, and crunched up dry raman noodles and toss again and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and green onion.

I didn't add measurements because, frankly, I don't know them. I tend to cook without measuring. I made this last night to see what measurements I used and blast if I didn't forget to measure again. So I'm afraid in that regard you're on your own. Sorry about that.

I also like cabbage steamed (or cooked in the microwave) with onions and carrots with some butter melted on top. I tend to use onions and carrots with most things I make with cabbage. This same combination is what I use for egg rolls. I stir fry the cabbage, onions and carrots (sometimes I add other veggies or leftover meat) and when tender I put in a bowl with 1 beaten egg. Then I put a tablespoon or so in a wonton wrapper, roll up and fry for egg rolls. I use the leftover egg roll fixings to rice in a fry pan to make stir fried rice (add soy sauce and turmeric). For the stir fried rice I like the steam in bag rice with peas and carrots in it....makes for a quick meal.

Teux Deux

I have to say, I'm really terrible about making lists and therefore end up walking around wondering what the heck it is that I'm supposed to be doing.

That said, I did stumble upon this cool website for tracking what you need to get done. Teuxdeux.com is a very simple list making and tracking tool. If you do not check off something as done it automatically moves to the next day. Gotta love simplicity, and so ends today's post.

Regulation - It Is What It is

From Merriam-Webster's definition

Main Entry: ¹reg·u·la·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌre-gyə-ˈlā-shən, ˌre-gə- also ˌrā-\

Function: noun

Date: 1665

1 : the act of regulating : the state of being regulated
2 a : an authoritative rule dealing with details or procedure s> b : a rule or order issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government and having the force of law

synonyms see law

Now sadly some misinformed folks think regulation is unamerican, so figured it was time for a little edification.
The U.S. Constitution uses the word "regulation" 6 times. A simple word search of the text will demonstrate this. Whereas "free market" is mentioned 0 (that is zero) times, and "capitalism" is mentioned 0 (zero) times. Feel free to search your own synonyms for unrestrained markets and see the number of entries the forefathers thought were important enough to include in the constitution.

Let's look and see what they had to say on the matter.

1. In Article I, section 4:
   The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
   
2. Article I, section 8:
   To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
   
3. Article I, section 9:
   No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.
   
4. Article III, section 2:
   In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.
   
5. Article IV, section 2: (This was modified by the 13th amendment in 1865)
   No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.
   
6. Article IV, section 3:
   The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
   

Clearly the founding fathers knew the importance of regulation and regulatory bodies. I hope that cleared that up for you.

:)

Procrastination

Why do now what you can put off until tomorrow.

I struggled with what to write about today and as the day nears its end and still I have nothing, it became clear that procrastination will be the topic of the day.

Now I found an interesting little thing on another blog regarding stress control and procrastination. This was an idea that seemed so novel to me. Make a procrastination list. I think I like that idea.

We often get so busy and always either write down or have in the back of our minds all the things we need "to do". This adds to our stress load. So in 8 Unconventional Ways To De-stress and Release Tension at the Zen habits blog, I could not help but be intrigued with #5 on the list.

5. Procrastinate. Make a list of things to do and then don’t do it. Call it your procrastination list. Then make the decision to engage in something you really feel like doing. If and when you become inspired to do something on your procrastination list then go for it. Maybe you really don’t have to do those things on your procrastination list or perhaps someone else may want to do those things for you. I believe that if you’re not accepting, enjoying or enthusiastic about what you’re doing then you shouldn’t do it. By procrastinating you often let go of resistance and become more relaxed.

And so I put it to you, find things that you, too, can add to your own personal procrastination list.

Haiti

Many prayers to those in Haiti enduring this tragedy after this devastating quack.

There are many ways you can help.

Use your cellphone. You can text "Yele" to 501501 to donate in $5 increments to Yele.org. Yele.org is a grassroots effort dedicated to improving life in Haiti through projects that raise hope and rebuild their nation.

The Red Cross is accepting donations by texting "Haiti" to 90999. This will contribute in $10 increments. Both of these resources will add your donation to your cell bill.

Doctors without Borders are also accepting donations. They had 3 hospitals in Haiti that have been damaged and became unusable during the quake. They are continuing to send more doctors to the area to treat the injured. Donate to Doctors without Borders



Oxfam America - Donate online
"Oxfam has long experience in Haiti, and we're rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation where our assistance is most needed. Our response will include providing clean water, shelter, sanitation and helping people recover – your donation will go immediately to the most critical needs in Haiti, and we will ensure that every penny is used wisely." --Oxfam America

Please do your research before making donations. Sadly some are opportunistic, but I have checked the above organizations and recommend that you do the same.

Sticker Madness

Here's a fun little idea to do when the kids have a snow day (or when you're feeling a little creative and playful), make your own stickers.

It's really pretty easy.

What you need:
1 envelope (1/4 oz)  unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 tsp flavoring extract
Add gelatin to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in corn syrup and flavoring.

You can use your own artwork, wrapping paper, magazine pictures, whatever moves you. Simply paint the sticker gum to the back of your art and allow to dry. Then cut out your "sticker", lick and paste.

If you aren't ready to let your inner child out to play, you can also use this tip for making your own address labels or resticky envelopes that lost their zest. Or for bookplates such as those needed to free your books (see bookcrossing.com).

This idea came from Skip to My Lou

Best Foods pt 1

Todays entry was inspired from the article 11 best foods you aren't eating

According to this article Beets are one of the best foods we aren't eating.

Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.

So I figured today I'd post some things to do with beets to expand on the "how to eat" section.

My favorite way to use beets is to puree the beets and add to chocolate cake as a replacement for some of the oil, egg and water. You can cut 1 egg from the box ingredients and half the oil using pureed beet in it's place.

And this one from Living Foods sounds so good to me, but I've not yet tried it. I'll share it anyway.

Souper Beet Soup

by Paul Benhaim
1 beetroot
1 carrot
1 tomato
2 cups of water
3 strawberries (optional)
1 small spring onion (optional)
Blend all in your mixer. If required, add water to desired consistency.
Swirl in a generous helping of Macadamia crème.

Macadmia Crème

15 raw macadamia nuts
1 tsp hemp oil
1 orange, juiced
3 fresh pitted dates
Blend and serve.

More:
A few entries from Chowhound
Beet recipes for a hater
And
Beet recipes other than roasted or in a salad

Let's do Lunch

The word "lunch" is an abbreviation for the word "luncheon" which evolved from the word nonechenche (1530) meaning none "noon"+"chenche" drink and the pronunciation being altered by a northern English dialect into lunch or lunchentach (meaning sliced meat and cheese or loin) The word lunch did not enter usage until 1839.

The concept of lunch evolved overtime as well. What we, in many parts of America, call lunch is still called dinner elsewhere. The idea of a luncheon evolved as men began working further away from home and therefore not home for their midday meal.

Men not home at noon, meant ladies were free to set up meetings with one another and have a light meal together midday. Luncheons were more common with wealthier women who'd meet while shopping and eat in the department stores. Or they'd meet to discuss charitable activities.

The earliest lunch boxes were usually baskets with food wrapped in a linen napkin. In 1934 the first "character" lunch box was made with a Mickey Mouse lithograph on a tin. And the first school lunch boxes made with a tv theme were made in 1950 with Hopalong Cassidy depicted on the surface of the box. They were produced by Aladdin Industries and were sold for $2.39.

Beginning

Every place has a start, a beginning, and this is that point for this blog. I've started other blogs, but found my interests are too varied to have a single focus and with the New Year, I've decided to make writing daily a part of my new regime.

Potpourri Americana seems a fitting title for this little venture I'm about to embark upon. My aim is to add daily quips, quotes, trivia, recipes, whatever suits my fancy for that day.

What inspired this? It was actually thanks to Ron and a quote he posted that sent me on a little cyber journey whereupon I stumbled into an interesting little factoid about the word "lunch". And so my next post will be a sharing of that trivial bit of information.

Enjoy a sip of coffee while here, as I suspect these posts may not even be long enough for a whole cup of coffee, but who knows what will evolve over time.